Lid-operating device for letter-boxes.



UNITED STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. BENTON, OF EAST HAMPTON, NEW YORK.

LID-OPERATING DEVICE FOR LETTER-BOXES.

SPECIFLCATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 728,839, dated May 26,1903.

Application filed February 4, 1903. Serial No. 141.917. '(No model-l T0a/ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE E. BENTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Hampton, Long Island, in the county of Suffolk andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Lid-Operating Devicefor Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and .,@eful improvements inletter-boxes, and

momiartieularlvjo an attachment for opening and closing thlid ordropgthereof to facilitate the insertion of inail-"mat'terfraid` has forits object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and etticient device ofthis character capable of application to the ordinary form ofletter-boxes and by means of which a person although having both handsencumbered may readily uncover the orifice through which the mail-matteris introduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foot-operated leverconnected by suitable mechanism to the lid or drop of the letter-box, sothat when the lever is-depressed it will cause the mailing-orifice to beexposed and upon being released automatically close the same.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the lid or drop maybe opened independently of the foot-operating mechanism, so as to permitthe introduction of mail in the ordinary manner.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, itbeing understood that various changes in form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention. Y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a letter-box havingthe attachment constructed in accordance with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view of the lid or drop, showingthe manner of connecting the foot-operated rod. Fig. 3 is avertical-sectional view of the operatingrod connecting-link and Fig. 4is a front elevation of a letter-box, showing a dierent manner ofattaching the foot-operated lever.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theIigures of the drawings.

1 designates a mail-box of the usual con? struction secured in anysuitable manner, as by straps 2, to a pillar or post 3. The mailbox isprovided with an outwardly and downwardly swinging lid or drop 4,pivoted as shown Vat 5, for closing the mail-receiving orifice andprovided with the usual counterweight 6 for closing the drop after themail has been introduced. Secured to the lid or drop4 in any suitablemanner, as by rivets 65 7, is asta-ple'loop 8, and loosely mounted onthe loop is a lni'rgolrlg 0f which is provided with an eye 10,adapted`o*1ece"m\ the loop, the opposite end thereof extendin downwardlyand terminating at a point even 7o with the pivoted line of the lid 4 inan elongated 'loop or eye 1l, which forms one-half of a hingedconnection between the lid and the foot-operating mechanism, as will beexplained more fully hereinafter.

A rod 12, one end of which is bent at right angles thereto to form atreadle or foot-lever 13, is secured to the pillar or post 3 by means ofclamps 14, which encircle the post and rod, the end of the clamp membersbeing secured 8o together by means of bolts and nuts 15. The rod 12 isprovided with an arm 1G, which eX- tends beneath the letter-box and liesparallel with the bottom thereof, being supported by adiagonally-disposed brace-bar 17,V and the end of the rod projectsupwardly, passing through guides 1S, secured in any suitable manner tothe front of the box. The upper end of the rod 12 is bifurcated, asshown, forming a pair of forked arms 19, connected 9o by a cross-bar 20,which. passes through the loop or eye ll of the link 9, and thus forms aloose connection between the lid and the rod, permitting said lid to beopened by hand independently of the foot-lever. The connection betweenthe end of vthe rod 12 and the link 9 is arranged, as beforestated,parallel to and coincident with the line of juncture of the lidor drop 4 and the bodyvof the box and as close as possible to thepivotal point Vroo of the lid, so as to permit said lid to be operatedby hand in the usual manner and without aecting the foot-operatingmechanism, the loops or eyes allowing for any slight play 'j Je 728,839

of the link as the lid is being opened. A coiled spring 2l is mounted onthe lower portion of the rod 12 and has one end resting on theguiding-clamps 14 and its opposite end bearing against the arm I6 toreturn the rod to its normal posit-ion after being depressed andautomatically close the lid.

From the foregoing description the operation of the device will bereadily understood to and is as follows: A person desiring t-o deposit aletter or other mail-matter in the box and burdened with packages orhaving both hands otherwise engaged may readily uncover themailing-orifice by depressingr the foot-ler5 ver, which causes the rodto exert a downward pull on the lid or drop, opening the same andpermitting the mail-matter to be introduced, and upon releasing thefoot-lever the spring will automatically return the rod to its norzo malposition, closing the oritlce. The lid or drop may he openedindependently of the footlever by swinging the lid or drop outwardly byhand, the hinged connection permitting the drop to be opened in theordinary manner z5 without affecting the foot operating mechanism, thelid being automatically closed by the oounterweight.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a different manner of attaching the rod. In thisc se *L rou 3o projects upwardlv the corner of t e tm", passing throughsuitable guides 24,

secured thereto, and the link instead of being attached to the front ofthe lid or drop is loosely connected to the knob 25, the hingedconnection in both cases permitting the lid to be operated independentlyot' the Vfoot-lever.

Although I have shown the attachment applied to a inail-boX,-it isobvious that it may be used with equally good results on recepta- 4ocles in general or for various other purposes.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-.

l. In a device of the class describedLthe combination with a receptacle,of a pivoted lid or cover, a foot-operated rod or lever pivotallyconnected to the lid for opening the same, means carried by the rod forautomatically closing the lid and a hinged connection between the rodand the lid whereby the lid 5o may be operated independently of thefootoperated mechanism.

2. In a deviceof the class described, the combination with a receptacle,of a pivoted lid or cover, a foot-operated rod or lever for opening andclosing the lid, and a link one end of which is pivotally connected tothe lid, and its opposite end to the rod.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with areceptacle, of a pivoted 6o lid or cover, a rod slidably secured to thereceptacle, and having one end pivotally connected to the lid theopposite end of said rod being bent atrright angles, passing beneath thereceptacle and thence extending downwardly being` provided with a pedal,a loose pivotal connection between the lid and the rod, means forslidably securing the rod to a su pport and a spring for returning therod to its normal position after being depressed.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with areceptacle, of a pivoted lid or cover, a foot-operated rod or lever'slidably connected to the receptacle and having/,

a bifurcated upper end, acrossar.`.' -..u 75 ing through the lin"connecting the birms of the rod, a guiding-clamp for the rod and aspring for returning the rod to its normal position after beingdepressed.

5. In a device of the class described the 8o combination with areceptacle, of a pivoted lid or cover, a footoperated rod or leverslidably'secured to the receptacle and pivotally connected to the lid orcover, a guiding-clamp for slidably securing the rod to a support, aspring for returning the rod 'to its normal position and a loose pivotalconnection between the lid and the rod at a point adjacent to thelid-pivots whereby the lid may be operated independently of thefoot-operated mechanism. 9o

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GrlllOlGE E. BENTON.

Witnesses:

O. H. WINTHROP, MARY M.- SWAIN.

